Chippewa County Sheriff Deputies were called to a South Towering Pines residence shortly before 2 a.m. Saturday in response to a call from a Bay Mills police officer in need of assistance.

According to reports, the tribal officer was investigating a vehicle in a ditch when a suspect began swinging. A lengthy struggle ensued leaving the officer with injuries which were not believed to be life threatening before the suspect was apprehended.

James C. LeBlanc, 42, of Brimley was subsequently booked into the Chippewa County Jail for aggravated assault on a police officer, resisting and obstructing and operating while intoxicated.

The officer was conveyed to War Memorial Hospital for treatment of unspecified injuries.

SAULT STE. MARIE

Retail fraud

Sault Police were called to an I-75 Business Spur retail store Sunday afternoon where loss prevention personnel had detained a woman attempting to leave with sleeping aids, yogurt, juice and a pop.

Nichole P. Biron, 26, of Cheboygan was arrested for retail fraud and booked into the Chippewa County Jail.

The recovered items had a combined value of $27.78.

Drunk driving

Chippewa County Sheriff Deputies report observing a vehicle making a wide turn and speeding with an expired plate prompting a traffic stop shortly before 2 a.m. Sunday.

The driver explained she was trying to get her passengers to a nearby fast food restaurant before it closed with deputies noting an odor of alcohol and other signs of intoxication during the initial stop.

A battery of failed sobriety tests resulted in the arrest of the driver. Kara D. Heggaton, 20, of Palmer was arrested for operating while intoxicated. She was also cited for an expired registration before being booked into the Chippewa County Jail.

The passengers were released with a warning after they were able to secure rides from the scene of the arrest.

Warrant arrests

Chippewa County Sheriff Deputies report four recent warrant arrests.

• Shannon M. Mendoskin, 34, of the Sault was arrested Friday on an outstanding warrant. Mendoskin was picked up in the 300 block of W. 9th and booked into the county jail.

• Gene K. Brody, 47, of the Sault was arrested near the intersection of M-129 and Three Mile on the force of a friend of the court warrant Friday evening. Brody was also ticketed for no insurance before being booked into the Chippewa County Jail.

• Frank C. Snay, 49, of Trout Lake was arrested on a failure to appear warrant out of Ottawa County Friday night at a Trout Lake Township residence. Snay was booked into the Chippewa County Jail.

• Melissa J. Pancheri, 32, of the Sault was picked up Sunday evening at a Dafter Township residence on the force of a failure to appear warrant; she was also booked into the Chippewa County Jail.

Page 2 of 2 - Suspended licenses

Area law enforcement agencies report four recent arrests after coming into contact with drivers who were unable to produce valid licenses.

• Christopher S. Talentino, 22, of the Sault was arrested for driving while license suspended (DWLS) after his snowmobile became stuck near the intersection of Swinton and East 4th. Sault Police had observed the machine engaged in erratic maneuvers and also witnessed it fail to stop at a posted intersection before the sled became stuck in a snowbank. Talentino was also cited for careless driving before being booked in the Chippewa County Jail. His sled was towed from the scene.

• Shaun J. Fish, 27, of the Sault was arrested for DWLS Saturday morning after Chippewa County Sheriff Deputies concluded their investigation into a drive-off at a local gas station. Store personnel provided authorities with a description of the vehicle after it had departed with $7.05 in fuel. Fish reportedly compensated the store for his fuel before being booked into the county jail.

• Brett W. Windsor, 21, of the Sault was cited for DWLS and failure to change address after deputies conducted a traffic stop for a loud exhaust on Friday near the intersection of M-129 and 13 Mile Road. Windsor was also given a warning for the loud exhaust before he was released with a future court date.

• Gina E. Hoglund, 34, of the Sault was stopped Friday for an expired tag and subsequently ticketed for DWLS. Hoglund was released with a future court date.

Vehicle damaged

Sault Police were called Friday to 3 Mile Road after a snowmobile groomer was involved in an accident with a westbound vehicle approximately 400 feet from Mackinac Trail.

According to reports, the groomer had cleared the roadway with all of its warning lights functioning, but the driver of the oncoming vehicle did not see the heavy piece of equipment being dragged behind the device.

The resulting impact left the vehicle in an undriveable condition, but the groomer and its load were not significantly damaged.

There were no citations issued.

False alarm

Sault Firefighters were summoned to a Cascade Crossing clothing store at 3:46 p.m. Sunday for a fire alarm.

The store was evacuated without incident and firefighters spent more than an hour checking the structure to make sure there was no sign of smoke or flames before determining the alarm itself had malfunctioned.

Employees and customers were allowed to return to the building and a repairman is slated to visit to determine the cause of the malfunction.